Children home alone

There is no legal age limit for leaving a child on their own, but it is an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk. Parents can be prosecuted for neglect if they leave a child unsupervised ‘in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health’ (Children and Young Person’s Act). Constantly leaving a child alone is classed as neglect, which is a form of child abuse.

Parents therefore need to give careful thought to the following before they leave their child alone:

Ages of children, and their levels of maturity and understanding

How long they would be left

Time of day

If there are contact numbers in case of emergency

Do the children know what to do in an emergency? Do they know how to make a phone call?

Do the phones work? Are mobiles charged and have credit?

Is there a neighbour watching?

Are there other relations who can be contacted?

The NSPCC also gives the following advice:

If possible, leave a telephone number where you can be contacted, and be available to answer it immediately.

Talk to your child about keeping safe at home and point out the potential dangers. Tell them not to answer the door to strangers.

Give clear instructions about what to do if there's an emergency. All children left alone should be able to phone the emergency services.